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How the shared space on Bridge Street would look after work later this year.
COUNCIL officials and have told traders that scrapping the intended two-way traffic plan for Denny Street was not on the table and work will commence in two weeks time.
However, the traders are hopeful the Council take on board suggestions including finding more parking spaces around the Ashe Memorial Hall.
At a meeting of a delegation from the ‘Save Tralee’ group with the CEO of Kerry County Council, Moira Murrell and officials, on Tuesday afternoon, any notion of work not going head on the shared space and Denny Street being changed to two-way, was “off the table”.
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At the ‘Save Tralee’ meeting on Monday night the majority of the public and traders who attended, were in favour of the €2.2 million work in Tralee town centre being scrapped.
At the Tuesday meeting, ‘Save Tralee’ asked if the works which could be delayed until September because of the possible loss of revenue during the peak tourist summer months, but were told work will commence as planned in two weeks time.
“As I understand there is nothing that can be done on that,” Heather O’Sullivan of Save Tralee told TraleeToday.ie on Wednesday. “It was the feedback we were given [at the meeting], which is a shame,” she said.
“We want to work with the council. We have the very best interests of the people of Tralee at mind,” she added.
Representing ‘Save Tralee’ at the meeting with Council officials were business people Hotelier Dick Boyle, Auctioneer Eddie Barrett and Heather O’Sullivan of John Ross Jewellers. They met CEO of Kerry County Council, Moira Murrell, Senior Engineer Tom Sheehy and Director of Services Michael Scannell.
“The members of the Council listened with great compassion and I really hope and pray that some of our suggestions can be adopted and taken on board,” said Heather.
Some of the suggestions made were, the retention of all six disabled spots in The Mall and all seven disabled spots on Denny Street. There was a request that the Taxi drivers be given a rank outside Shaws that would extend down towards the existing rank on Bridge Lane.
They asked the council not to put a taxi rank on Denny Street in order to alleviate the concerns of hoteliers and residents on Denny Street.
A request was put in on behalf of taxi drivers who wished for a taxi rank to be provided at University Hospital Kerry.
“By moving the taxis off Denny Street that would immediately alleviate traders concerns on the approximate parking. If those 14 taxi spots became parking spaces you’d have those short term parking spaces closer to the shops like we currently have.”
“There seems to be openness to the idea to see if further spots be found around the Ashe Memorial Hall, to basically squeeze as many spots as possible there. The situation on Castle Street is now at critical level and we have to address it. We are hoping that the council can address it some way.”
More suggestions were for more parking spaces to be available on Courthouse Lane. Traders on the lower part of Ashe Street wished to have a set-down space so deliveries could be made easier in and out.
There was a suggestion to relocate the tourist office from the Ashe Memorial Hall to the vacant old Albany paint shop opposite the entrance to St John’s. It was felt investment in that building and placing the tourist office would regenerate that area of town.
